On the afternoon rush-hour return trip, commuters save 53 seconds, he added."Fifty-three seconds doesn't sound like a lot, but over a period of time, that can add up."

The savings to a Gloucester resident who commutes to and from the Newport News shipyard during rush hour each week day is 22,880 seconds every year.

That's 381 minutes or more than six hours every year - more time to spend at home, at work or at the breakfast-biscuit drive-through window.

The traffic signal changes have also improved the flow of traffic on York side streets, Pauley said.

"Congestion in that area was very bad before," Pauley said. "I believe this may help alleviate some of it because it may get commuters to clear out a little faster. When traffic sits for one minute it can back up very quickly."

The traffic signal work is part of a $1.2 million project in southeastern Virginia that the department calls VaSTOP - the Virginia Signal Timing Optimization Program.

The work, which will include 900 traffic lights, is being paid for out of a 1983 settlement against Exxon Corp. and other companies cited for overcharging customers for gasoline, spokesman John Campbell said.

The work is being done by Kimley-Horn and Associates of Virginia Beach.